The nerdiest New Year's drinking gadgets

By Sean Fallon

Nerd Approved?

If your New Year's resolution is to be nerdier than you were the year before, using one of the following drinking gadgets on New Year's Eve will have you off to a good start.

(Well, maybe not good: There's nothing good about getting into a fistfight over which Trek captain ? or worse, which?Doctor ??was the best.)

That's Nerdalicious

Tailgater backpack drink dispenser
The Tailgater drink-dispensing backpack is back for New Year's, and it's been upgraded with a second tank for 210 ounces of total capacity. So you can party twice as hard. I actually replaced my CamelBak backpack with one of these while I take my weekly trail runs. Needless to say, I've been waking up naked in the woods far more than I used to. $39.95 - Home Wet Bar

That's Nerdalicious

Cocktail chemistry set

Make your mixed drinks a little more scientific with this unique chemistry set. It includes test tubes, flasks and a shaker that will allow you to concoct the perfect cocktail. Remember, you're not a bartender ? you're a mixologist. You've got a lab coat and everything. $34.99 - ThinkGeek

Photoblocker beer cooler
On a normal day, you might receive a few messages on Facebook. So when you see dozens of notifications on the morning after a night you don't remember, you know that whatever you're about to read isn't going to be good.

With that in mind, a South American beer brand and Buenos Aires-based ad agency teamed up to develop the Photoblocker ? a beer cooler that detects camera flashes in 360 degrees and reflects back a powerful flash that should, in theory, wash out any unsavory drunken images that will come back to haunt you later. There aren't any details on when or if the Photoblocker will be widely available, but its creators claim to have successfully tested a prototype in a few Argentinian bars. Fast Company via That's Nerdalicious

That's Nerdalicious

Pi bottle opener
Math is the language of the universe. But even if you add with your fingers like I do, there are ways to wield the power of mathematics to your own ends. Like using this pi bottle opener for example. I also know that 8 beers + 4 shots = 1 head in toilet. $25 - Uncommon Green via That's Nerdalicious

That's Nerdalicious

Star Wars ice trays
You're going to need plenty of ice on hand for your New Year's Eve party, and there's no nerdier way to keep a drink cold than with ice from a R2-D2 or Han Solo-in-carbonate ice tray. I like to fill one tray with Pepto Bismol for morning after. Pepto Pops I call 'em. Also comes in Millennium Falcon, Stormtrooper, Darth Vader and X-Wing versions. $9.99 - Big Bad Toy Store via That's Nerdalicious

More craziness from Nerd Approved:?

That's Nerdalicious

The Football
A briefcase called ?The Football? follows the President around wherever he goes as it contains all of the information necessary to launch an offensive nuclear strike. This briefcase is also called "The Football" but it is only to be used by the President of Partying. Consider it the nuclear option for boredom. The briefcase contains everything from vodka, tequila and Red Bull to Advil, Altoids and a deck of cards. $500 - Urban Mercenaries via That's Nerdalicious

That's Nerdalicious

DC Comics shot glasses
Drink like a superhero with these DC comics-themed shot glasses. The set includes Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, The Flash, Green Lantern (also available in Justice League pint glasses). Just make sure you know your limits because after a few shots from the Wonder Woman glass you and the ex-girlfriend you just drunk dialed will realize that the Lasso of Truth is very, very real. $17.99 - ThinkGeek via That's Nerdalicious

That's Nerdalicious

Sk??zi koozie glove
Keep your beer cold and your hands warm while you wait for the ball to drop with the Sk??zi Scandinavian Koozie Glove. Sure you could just wear a regular glove while drinking a beer, but this is way more adorable and European. $29.99 - Sk??zi via Fashionably Geek

That's Nerdalicious

Ammo case Chiller cask
If you prefer wine over beer and liquor this New Year's Eve, you'll love this upcycled U.S. Army ammo case Chiller cask. On the sophistication and hipness scale it's far above traditional boxed wine. And let's face it, opening up a box of Franzia is only slightly more sophisticated than chugging a bottle of Thunderbird in a paper bag behind a dumpster. Plus, the Chiller includes a refillable bag that can hold four bottles worth of decent wine. To get you started, the ?Make Wine Not War?-emblazoned case comes pre-filled with your choice of a Napa Valley Cabernet or Costal Queen Chardonnay. $70 to $80 - Thrillist via That's Nerdalicious

That's Nerdalicious

Battlestar Galactica stein
This Top Gun stein replica from Quantum Mechanics (originally seen in the Battlestar Galactica episode "Scar") quickly became my beer drinking vessel of choice. It's an exact 1:1 scale replica with kiln-baked ceramic, a metal lid and hand-panted details. I've become so attached to it that I've started drinking my morning coffee out of it ... in honor of Starbuck. $59.95 - QMx via That's Nerdalcious

More craziness from Nerd Approved:?

Source: http://gadgetbox.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/30/9780091-the-nerdiest-new-years-drinking-gadgets

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poundingtherock: RT @PreineTime: Coach Pop on rest benefits of blow out: "You wouldn't trade it, that's for sure. If you can get a little rest, that's great"

RT @: Coach Pop on rest benefits of blow out: "You wouldn't trade it, that's for sure. If you can get a little rest, that's great" Il y a environ 6 heures via TweetDeck

Source: http://twitter.com/poundingtherock/statuses/152251583831351296

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The morning after: PlayStation Vita sales go cold during first full week in Japan

It's hard to set much store by early sales performance, particularly after the evergreen 3DS faced such a rocky road. Nevertheless, the Vita's latest stats do look disappointing for such a highly anticipated -- not to mention high-quality -- console: after shifting a remarkable 321,000 units during its first two days on sale in Japan, it could only muster 72,500 in the whole week between December 19th and Christmas Day. In comparison, the PS3 sold 76,000 units during the same period, while the 3DS rang up half a million. This doesn't necessarily reflect a lack of interest, however: there have been stock shortages, and it's also possible that buyers are waiting to make sure that all the launch bugs get cleaned up. As for us, our alarms remain firmly set for February 22nd.

The morning after: PlayStation Vita sales go cold during first full week in Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Dec 2011 11:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Beautiful rainbow dazzles DC

After a cloudy, stormy day, a burst of color. A glorious rainbow was captured on camera before it disappeared in Washington D.C. NBC?s Lester Holt reports.

>>> look at the show that nature put on yesterday in the skies above the washington, d.c. area. after a cloudy, stormy day a burst of color, a glorious rainbow captured on camera before it disappeared.

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/45809984/

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Is Video The New Software?

VC (TechCrunch contributor)?Mark Suster published an article on his personal blog about one of his portfolio companies, Maker Studios.? Other players in that space include The Collective and Fullscreen. While Mark is clearly rationalizing his investment, his reasoning is worth understanding. However, I could not help but wonder if one of the excerpts in this piece will make any difference with his technology-loving peers:

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/oT4LO1UOatw/

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NASA probes to arrive at the moon over New Year's

In this undated image provided by NASA on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011, shows two sides of the moon. Twin NASA probes traveling for the past 3 1/2 months are scheduled to arrive at the moon during the New Year's weekend to study lunar gravity. (AP Photo/NASA)

In this undated image provided by NASA on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011, shows two sides of the moon. Twin NASA probes traveling for the past 3 1/2 months are scheduled to arrive at the moon during the New Year's weekend to study lunar gravity. (AP Photo/NASA)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? The New Year's countdown to the moon has begun.

NASA said Wednesday that its twin spacecraft were on course to arrive back-to-back at the moon after a 3?-month journey.

"We're on our way there," said project manager David Lehman of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which manages the $496 million mission.

The Grail probes ? short for Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory ? won't land on the lunar surface. Instead, they were poised to slip into orbit to study the uneven lunar gravity field.

Grail-A was scheduled to arrive on New Year's Eve, followed by Grail-B on New Year's Day.

Lehman said team members won't celebrate until both probes are safely in orbit.

It's been a long voyage for the near-identical Grail spacecraft, which traveled more than 2? million miles (3.22 million kilometers) since launching in September. Though the moon is relatively close at about 250,000 miles (402317.35 kilometers)away, Grail took a roundabout way to save on costs by launching on a small rocket.

Once at the moon, the probes will spend the next two months tweaking their positions before they start collecting data in March. The pair will fly in formation at an altitude of 34 miles (54.72 kilometers) above the surface, with an average separation of 124 miles (199.55 kilometers).

The mission's chief scientist, Maria Zuber of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said many aspects of the moon remain a mystery despite being well studied.

"We actually know more about Mars ... than we do about our own moon," Zuber said.

One puzzle scientists hope to solve is why the moon's far side is more hilly than the side that always faces Earth. Research published earlier this year suggested that Earth once had dual moons that collided and formed the moon that people gaze at today.

Despite the wealth of new knowledge expected from the mission, NASA has no near-term plans to send astronauts back to the moon. The Obama administration last year nixed the idea in favor of landing astronauts on an asteroid and eventually Mars.

___

Online:

Mission: http://grail.nasa.gov

___

Follow Alicia Chang's coverage at http://www.twitter.com/SciWriAlicia

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/apdefault/b2f0ca3a594644ee9e50a8ec4ce2d6de/Article_2011-12-28-NASA%20Moonshot/id-0573108694684b89a644defb253ffd27

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Oil from 2007 spill surprisingly toxic to fish, scientists report

Thick, tarry fuel oil disgorged into San Francisco Bay from a damaged cargo ship in 2007 was surprisingly toxic to fish embryos, devastating the herring population that feeds seabirds, whales and the bay's last commercial fishery, scientists reported Monday.

Although the bay's herring spawning grounds are now free of toxic oil, studies have found that the moderate-size spill of 54,000 gallons had an unexpectedly large and lethal effect.

The culprit, a common type of ship fuel called "bunker fuel," appears to be especially toxic to fish embryos, particularly when exposed to sunlight, according to a study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"That's the big lesson," said John Incardona, a toxicologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service. "This bunker oil is literally the dregs of the barrel, and it's much more toxic than crude oil."

The container ship Cosco Busan spilled low-grade bunker fuel after it sideswiped the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge on a foggy November morning four years ago. This type of sludge-like fuel is cheap and thus popular among operators of commercial shipping fleets that transport raw materials and goods around the globe.

Scientists have traditionally focused on larger crude oil spills, such as last year's Deepwater Horizon drilling rig blowout in the Gulf of Mexico or 1989's Exxon Valdez tanker disaster, in which 11 million gallons of oil were discharged into Alaska's Prince William Sound. The Exxon spill is suspected of wiping out the sound's herring fishery, which has never bounced back.

From studies in Alaska, scientists knew that oil could cause heart deformities to developing herring in their embryonic sacs.

But after examining herring embryos placed in cages in shallow waters near the Cosco Busan spill site, researchers were surprised to find that nearly all had died, and their tissues were deteriorating faster than expected in the bay's chilly water.

"We didn't think there was enough oil spilled to cause this much damage," said Gary Cherr, a study coauthor and director of the UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory. He described the total spill as similar in size to a large backyard swimming pool.

Oil and water don't mix. The fat-filled herring egg sacs can act like little sponges, soaking up the highly toxic compounds from the bunker fuel. Once exposed to sunlight during low tides, the oil compounds became even more lethal to developing fish.

"Bunker fuel is used worldwide and is spilled relatively often," Cherr said. "It is important to look at small spills in sensitive areas," he added, now that science understands the lethal potential of low concentrations.

The owners and operators of the Cosco Busan in September agreed to pay $44.4 million to cover government claims, the cost of the cleanup ? about half of the spilled oil was captured ? and bay restoration programs. Besides tarring about 30% of the bay's herring spawning grounds, the spill killed about 6,800 seabirds and closed beaches for months.

ken.weiss@latimes.com

Source: http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/news/science/~3/LgpWPwaszXc/la-me-herring-kill-20111228,0,6618000.story

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Nintendo introduces paid DLC, lets you complete the games you completed

Did you get a Nintendo shaped bundle of joy for Christmas? Completed the games already? Fear not, as from March Kyoto's gaming veterans will be launching paid downloadable game content for its 3D handheld. The first title to get the goodies will be Fire Emblem, and as yet, there's no clues about what treats you'll get for the reported "several hundred yen" you'll be asked to stump up. Nintendo, however, is understandably keen to stimulate interest in its 3D titles, and more importantly, claw back some of that mobile gaming market-share. With hints of downloadable add-ons coming to the Wii-U also, and Mr. Iwata's previous commitment to deliver the goods, it clearly thinks this is the way to go -- let's just hope all the kinks have been ironed out come release day.

Nintendo introduces paid DLC, lets you complete the games you completed originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/27/nintendo-introduces-paid-dlc-lets-you-complete-the-games-you-co/

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Exclusive: Afghanistan sets ground rules for Taliban talks (Reuters)

KABUL (Reuters) ? Afghanistan will accept a Taliban liaison office in Qatar to start peace talks but no foreign power can get involved in the process without its consent, the government's peace council said, as efforts gather pace to find a solution to the decade-long war.

Afghanistan's High Peace Council, in a note to foreign missions, has set out ground rules for engaging the Taliban after Kabul grew concerned that the United States and Qatar, helped by Germany, had secretly agreed with the Taliban to open an office in the Qatari capital, Doha.

U.S. officials have held about half a dozen meetings with their insurgent contacts, mostly in Germany and Doha with representatives of Mullah Omar, leader of the Taliban's Quetta Shura, this year to prepare the way for face-to-face talks between the group and the Afghan government.

A representative office for the group is considered the starting point for such talks and Doha has in the past served as a meeting ground for initial contacts.

But the Afghan peace commission which has suffered a series of setbacks including the assassination of its head in September said that negotiations with the Taliban could only begin after they stopped violence against civilians, cut ties to al Qaeda, and accepted the Afghan constitution which guarantees civil rights and liberties, including rights for women.

The council, according to a copy of the 11-point note made available to Reuters, also said any peace process with the Taliban would have to have the support of Pakistan since members of the insurgent group were based there.

"The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is in agreement regarding the opening of an office for the armed opposition, but only to move forward the peace process and conduct negotiations," the council said.

The government would prefer such an office in either Saudi Arabia or Turkey, both of which it is close to, but was not averse to Doha as long as the authority of the Afghan state was not eroded and the office was only established for talks, officials said.

"We are saying Saudi or Turkey are preferable, we are not saying it has to be there only. The only condition is it should be in an Islamic country," said a government official.

President Hamid Karzai's administration recalled its ambassador from Doha last week, apparently angry that it had been kept in the dark about the latest round of contacts with the insurgent group.

Officials said Kabul was also deeply concerned about reports that the United States was considering the transfer of a small number of Afghan prisoners from Guantanamo Bay military prison to Doha as a prelude to the talks.

"We are a sovereign country, we have laws. How can you transfer our prisoners from one country to another. Already it's a violation to have them in Guantanamo Bay," the official said.

The Afghan government wanted the prisoners to be returned to its custody, the official said.

Reuters reported this month that the United States was considering the transfer of an unspecified number of Taliban prisoners from Guantanamo Bay into Afghan government custody as part of accelerating, high-stakes diplomacy.

"We have no problem with this. In fact we have been demanding this for a while. These are Afghan prisoners," said the official, who declined to be identified.

The tension between the Karzai administration and the United States over engaging the Taliban underscores the challenges of seeking a political settlement as the West prepares to withdraw most combat troops from the country by 2014.

Efforts to engage the insurgent group have faced a string of setbacks, the most recent being the assassination of the head of the peace council and former president, Burhanuddin Rabbani, in September at the hands of a suicide bomber who pretended to be a Taliban emissary.

HARDENING OF POSITIONS

It led to a hardening of positions with Karzai saying the government could not talk to suicide bombers and that there should be an address for the Taliban so that negotiators know they are talking to the right representatives.

"We are committed to the reconciliation process, the experience of the last 10 years shows no military solution is possible. Talking to the armed opposition is the key in this regard," said presidential spokesman Aimal Faizi.

The peace council, laying down the markers for engagement with the Taliban, said well known figures from both the Taliban and the government had to be involved in talks.

It said that "before any negotiations can take place, violence against Afghan people must stop and that the armed opposition must cut ties to al Qaeda and other terrorist groups."

It also said that the Taliban must accept the constitution and honor the gains made in the last 10 years since they were ousted from power, conditions that the Taliban have shown no sign of accepting.

The Taliban do not accept the constitution and have vowed to carry on fighting until all foreign troops have left the country.

The peace council said Pakistani support was necessary for talks to take place, another condition that makes the task harder because of fraught ties between the United States and Pakistan which fears it is being shut out of the process.

Opening a Taliban office in a third country is seen as a way to create distance from Pakistan which has longstanding ties to the insurgent group.

But the government official said he did not think the peace council had laid down such tough conditions that the talks would fail even before they started.

"We don't think it's a deal breaker. We are quite optimistic," he said.

(Editing by Robert Birsel and Ed Lane)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111226/wl_nm/us_afghanistan_talks

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Israel Sells US Military Tech To China Again (Last post on 12/26/2011 at 05:33 AM PST)

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Donating An Automotive ? EraNostra

If in case you have an automotive that you understand longer use you will have to imagine donating it to a good cause. Many people are unaware that it is even conceivable to donate cars. In flip they just finally end up taking their car to the junkyard instead. Why give your automotive to the junkyard for pennies, whilst you?ll be able to donate it to help other people which can be in want?

The benefit of donating an automobile is that there are a lot of advantages that pass in conjunction with it which you can no longer even keep in mind of. First of all, it is important to recognise that you?ll be able to donate your automotive even if it is not in very best working condition. With a bit bit of labor your automotive can probably get working again and lend assistance in more ways than one. In addition, you never have to fret about using your automotive to the donation heart or purchasing towing. They are going to at all times come to you to select the car up; no questions asked.

To take provider a step further, donation facilities are also willing to paintings with you in an effort to ensure that the whole thing goes off easily from the start. They provide fast carrier and prompt attention in order that you would not have to head out of your approach to make sure that your automobile is picked up on time, etc. While you donate your automotive there could also be a minimal amount of bureaucracy that you need to maintain; this makes the process even quicker.

Donating an automobile will also be used as a large IRS tax deduction. Many of us are not aware of this, nevertheless it is without doubt one of the very best purposes to donate your car to charity or some other cause. Tax deductions can go a ways in ensuring that you don?t owe money at the end of the year.

And of course the most important advantage of donating an automobile is that you will be serving to other people that are in need. Your automotive would possibly pass to a family that doesn?t have any transportation, or the organization you donate it to might use it to deliver garments, food, or furniture. Both method, you can be rest confident that your donation is going to be put to just right use.

To discover a charity or organization that accepts automotive donations you?ll be able to merely log on or seek the yellow pages. You should not have any problems finding an organization on your area that may be ecstatic to take your automotive off your hands. And if you cannot in finding anybody on your area, try somebody a little additional out. Chances are high that that they are going to be simply excited that can assist you out.

Total, if in case you have an automotive that you now not use glance into donating it. The benefits that pass at the side of this procedure are endless, and you are going to feel a lot better approximately yourself while everything is over and done.

If you would like more data about scrap car prices, visit Howard K Lalone?s web site soon.

Tags: scrapping a car

This entry was posted on Sunday, December 25th, 2011 at 3:19 pm and is filed under MUSIC. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Source: http://www.eranostra.com/2011/12/25/donating-an-automotive/

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Gingrich fails to qualify for Va. primary ballot (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich failed to qualify for Virginia's Super Tuesday primary ballot, the latest setback for a candidate whose standing in polls has been slipping. Gingrich's campaign said he would pursue an aggressive write-in campaign, though state law prohibits write-ins on primary ballots.

The state party said early Saturday that Gingrich and Texas Gov. Rick Perry had failed to submit the required 10,000 signatures to appear on the March 6 ballot.

Failing to get on the ballot in Virginia, where Gingrich lives, underscores the difficulty first-time national candidates have in preparing for the long haul of a presidential campaign.

And it illustrates the advantage held by Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, who has essentially been running for president for five years. Romney's team, larger than those of most of his opponents, has paid close attention to filing requirements in each state. He will appear on the Virginia ballot along with Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who also has run a national campaign before.

Ironically, Gingrich had a slight lead over Romney in a Quinnipiac poll of Virginia Republicans released earlier in the week.

The former House speaker surged in popularity in early December and tried to use that momentum to make up for a stalled campaign organization. But his standing in polls has slipped in recent days amid a barrage of negative ads in Iowa, where the Jan. 3 caucuses begin the contest for the Republican presidential nomination.

Three other candidates ? Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman ? did not submit signatures before Virginia's deadline of 5 p.m. Thursday.

Gingrich's campaign attacked Virginia's primary system on Saturday, saying that "only a failed system" would disqualify Gingrich and other candidates and vowing to run a write-in campaign.

"Voters deserve the right to vote for any top contender, especially leading candidates," Gingrich campaign director Michael Krull said in a statement. "We will work with the Republican Party of Virginia to pursue an aggressive write-in campaign to make sure that all the voters of Virginia are able to vote for the candidate of their choice."

However, according to state law, "No write-in shall be permitted on ballots in primary elections."

"Virginia code prohibits write-ins in primaries. He can't do it," said Carl Tobias, a law professor at University of Richmond.

Tobias said Gingrich may have had trouble meeting a requirement that he must submit 400 signatures from each of Virginia's 11 congressional districts.

Gingrich's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Gingrich had been concerned enough to deliver his signatures personally. Rushing Wednesday from New Hampshire, which holds its primary on Jan. 10, he had supporters sign petitions before entering a rally in Arlington, Va.

Virginia GOP spokesman Garren Shipley said in a statement that volunteers spent Friday validating signatures on petitions that Romney, Paul, Perry and Gingrich had submitted. "After verification, RPV has determined that Newt Gingrich did not submit required 10k signatures and has not qualified for the VA primary," the party announced early Saturday on its Twitter feed. Shipley did not respond to telephone calls Saturday seeking comment.

Forty-six delegates will be at stake in Virginia's Super Tuesday primary. That's a small fraction of the 1,144 delegates needed to win the nomination. But they could prove pivotal in a close race, especially for a candidate like Gingrich, who expects to do well in Southern contests.

Gingrich already missed the deadline to appear on the ballot in Missouri's Feb. 7 primary, though he insists it doesn't matter because the state awards delegates based not on the primary but on a Republican caucus held in March.

Meanwhile, Virginia's Democrats said President Barack Obama's re-election campaign gathered enough signatures to get him on the state's primary ballot though he was the only candidate who qualified.

___

Associated Press writers Will Lester and Stephen Ohlemacher contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111224/ap_on_el_pr/us_gop_ballot

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Taylor Swift?s Hunger Games Song Safe and Sound (Listen)

The trailer for the highly anticipated movie The Hunger Games is finally been released and thanks to Taylor Swift now a fabulous song has been revealed as well. The song is awesome and you can take a listen to it right here. Taylor Swift sings the song ?Safe and Sound? which just so happens to be from the film The Hunger Games. Last night Swift decided to give fans an early Christmas present when she Tweeted a link to the new song. However you my faithful readers don’t have to go anywhere to listen, you can hear it below and let me just say you must check it out because it is of course awesome. In a Tweet Swift shared that the new single is something that she has been very excited about for a very long time. After listening to the ballad that features Civil Wars I can totally see why she is excited about it. As usual Taylor sounds awesome and will no doubt have another hit on her hands, even though the song is very melancholy it is going to be a hit. I honestly like that it is something a little different from the singer normal [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RightCelebrity/~3/n-q4BvDAQdo/

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Drinks and joy as defectors embrace Kim's death

In this photo taken Friday, Dec. 23, 2011, North Korean defector Kim Seung-cheol works at his office in Seoul, South Korea. More than 21,000 North Koreans now live in South Korea. For many, the news of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's death stirred mixed emotions.(AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

In this photo taken Friday, Dec. 23, 2011, North Korean defector Kim Seung-cheol works at his office in Seoul, South Korea. More than 21,000 North Koreans now live in South Korea. For many, the news of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's death stirred mixed emotions.(AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

In this photo taken Friday, Dec. 23, 2011, North Korean defector Kim Seung-cheol works at his office in Seoul, South Korea. More than 21,000 North Koreans now live in South Korea. For many, the news of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's death stirred mixed emotions. "I know a person's death is usually something that shouldn't be celebrated, but this time it was completely different," said Kim Seung-cheol, 50. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

In this photo taken Friday, Dec. 23, 2011, North Korean defector Kim Seung-cheol poses at his office in Seoul, South Korea. More than 21,000 North Koreans now live in South Korea. For many, the news of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's death stirred mixed emotions. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? More than 21,000 North Koreans now live in South Korea. For many, the news of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's death stirred mixed emotions.

Several interviewed in Seoul by The Associated Press described a burst of joy upon hearing that Kim had died, but also a surge of unease over the fate of relatives and friends and even a shadow of homesickness.

There was celebration ? one man had drinks with a friend? and hope for a better future for their homeland. For one woman, there was sadness as she envisioned little girls cramming to memorize the Kims' feats.

South Korea is no paradise for the defectors either; facing prejudice and lacking job skills, they rarely feel welcomed by their capitalist brethren.

Here, in their own words, are what three of them had to say:

___

THE PAINTER

"I felt rather calm after hearing of Kim Jong Il's death," said Song Byeok, 42, a painter who learned his art drawing propaganda posters in North Korea. "I thought to myself about him: 'You, too, are human in the end.'

"It was his destiny. He couldn't avoid it. ... He was praised like a god, but in the end, he was only a human who fell like an autumn leaf."

Desperate for food in 2000, Song and his father tried to cross the river into China ? not to defect but just to get something to eat from relatives on the Chinese side.

He still believed Kim Jong Il was a good leader.

However, when his father was swept away by the current and drowned, border guards ignored Song's pleas to help rescue him; instead they beat Song up and detained him. The experience convinced him to leave for good in 2002.

"I thought to myself after hearing Kim died that a wind of democratization may finally blow in North Korea," he said. "Reforms may come because Kim Jong Il has died.

"Kim Jong Un is young and he may lean toward reforms. But I still think he may not last long because he's too inexperienced. He only had a year or so to be groomed as successor.

"It may have been better for him if Kim Jong Il had lasted longer."

Song Byeok is the name he paints under and is widely known by in South Korea; he refused to divulge his real name for fear of retaliation against relatives and friends still in North Korea.

___

THE STUDENT

"I believed North Korea was the best country in the world," said Lee Hyeon-seo, who was 13 when late President Kim Il Sung, father of Kim Jong Il, died in 1994.

"I really believed in the theory of self-reliance," she said.

"When Kim Il Sung died, I saw many foreign guests crying on TV, which made me feel like Kim Il Sung was a god," she said. "But as days passed, I felt I wasn't as sad as I was supposed to when I stood in front of his statue.

"Everybody was crying but I couldn't cry, so I dabbed my face with my spit. It was a hot day, and some girl fainted and was sent to a hospital."

Lee, now 30, fled the North in the mid-1990s and lived for a decade in China before moving to South Korea in 2008. Now she studies Chinese at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul.

"I remember the propaganda education vividly even though I was a girl," she said. "In North Korea, excelling at math or English is less important than being good at the history of Kim Il Sung's revolutionary steps. Now I know it's fake, but we had to cram as much of the history in our heads as possible. We struggled to get high marks on the subject in school.

"I used to believe unification was a pipe dream. But now it may be possible. I'm hearing from friends that they'd like to be invited to my house in North Korea if the Koreas are reunified."

___

THE ACTIVIST

"I know a person's death is usually something that shouldn't be celebrated, but this time it was completely different," said Kim Seung-cheol, 50.

"Kim's death meant that North Korea would start changing," he said. "It was a hopeful sign for a change."

Kim went out with a friend to celebrate over sausages and "soju," a popular Korean liquor. They laughed with joy.

When he defected 20 years ago, he left behind his wife and son.

"If unification happens, I would like to find out if my son is still alive," he said. "If I find him, I will ask him to hit me for leaving him.

"And if I'm reunited with my wife, I will sing a song out of joy. But I have to ask forgiveness of her, because I've married another woman here in South Korea.

"I've pretty much given up on trying to find my son. It's important he be alive though," he said. "I only hope he is not living a miserable life as a vagabond.

"I hope South Korea can start engaging North Korea. A conciliatory gesture may be needed to open up North Korea. Seoul should send a message to Pyongyang that South Korea wants to go together with the new leadership in North Korea."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-12-25-AS-Kim-Jong-Il-Defector-Voices/id-15421dd9bcd345f4ac13dbbd8430c30c

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Christmas Greeting From Google

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Christmas Greeting From Google B4 It's 2 L8

#1 ? El_Tel?

• Group: Members
• Posts: 191
• Joined: 26-July 05
• Gender:Male
• Location:Nottingham The Worlds Best City... England U.K.

Posted Today, 04:32 AM

Hi

Try this before it is too late

http://www.google.co.uk/

Click on the coloured squares

Merry Christmas to everyone.

Regards

El Tel

Tarrah then... Why not check my Intro

Many Thanks for taking the time out of your busy day...

---

#2 ? Computer-man?

• Group: Members
• Posts: 56
• Joined: 25-November 11
• Gender:Male

Posted Today, 04:48 AM

Merry Christmas, El Tel

Also Christmas greetings to everyone

This post has been edited by Computer-man: Today, 04:51 AM

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Apple to Enhance iCloud with New Apps for iPhone and iPad

The fledgling?iCloud?service released by Apple recently, will soon be?improved with new apps available for iPad and iPhone.

As the keen eye of Apple Insider?noticed, Apple is looking to hire iCloud application developers. "The iCloud team is looking for proactive, creative-minded engineers to build the next generation of cocoa-based client applications that integrate tightly with a set of cloud based services," the job posting reads.

The new app developers, who will be part of the iCloud team, will be required to work closely with visual designers to ensure the best user interface for the apps, that people would "want to use every day".

One rumored application that has captured the imagination of Apple fans is the anticipated mapping service that the company is expected to add to iCloud soon.

As other job postings suggest, Apple is building its own mapping and location services for iOS devices, to set itself free from arch-rival Google. Unsurprisingly the new service is said to "radically improve" on the current mapping services available.

iCloud was released in October and has usurped Apple's cloud offering MobileMe, providing services such as Find My iPhone, Mail and Contacts, Documents in the Cloud, iTunes in the Cloud and others.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/itproportal/rss/~3/8snsZvSmn6g/

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Queen Elizabeth visits husband in hospital (AP)

LONDON ? Queen Elizabeth II paid a quick visit on Saturday to her husband, who is recovering from a heart operation at a hospital in Cambridge.

Prince Philip, 90, was taken to the hospital from the queen's Sandringham estate in Norfolk late Friday after experiencing chest pains. He had a coronary stent put in after tests found a blocked artery was to blame, though the palace has refused to say if he suffered a heart attack.

Elizabeth was flown in by helicopter and arrived at Papworth Hospital, some 70 miles (113 kilometers) from London, in a Range Rover. She was accompanied by two of her children, Princess Anne and Prince Edward. After a short visit, the royals were seen boarding the helicopter back to Sandringham.

Buckingham Palace said Philip "had a good night."

Doctors said Philip could have suffered a heart attack, but without more information it was impossible to know for sure.

Coronary stenting is standard procedure both to fend off a heart attack or save a patient already in the midst of one, said Dr. Allan Schwartz, chief of cardiology at New York-Presbyterian, Columbia University Medical Center.

Philip has been known to enjoy good health throughout his life and rarely misses royal engagements. Upon his 90th birthday in June, he announced plans to cut back his official duties.

Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron offered his support to Philip.

"The Prime Minister has been kept informed of the situation and wishes the Duke of Edinburgh a very speedy recovery," Cameron's office said.

The palace said it does not know when Philip will be released, only that he is having a "short stay" in the hospital.

Philip had been at Sandringham, the queen's sprawling rural estate in Norfolk, since Monday for the royal family's Christmas festivities.

The palace said Queen Elizabeth II and the royal family will attend church as usual on Sunday.

Another key part of the royal family's Christmas celebrations is the queen's annual message to the nation, which this year will focus on family and community.

The queen has made a prerecorded Christmas broadcast on radio since 1952 and on television since 1957. She writes the speeches herself, and the broadcasts mark the rare occasion on which the queen voices her own opinion without government consultation.

________

Cassandra Vinograd can be reached at http://twitter.com/CassVinograd

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111224/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_prince_philip

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Going Naked (The Motley Fool)

Success stories are regular features of The Motley Fool's Rule Your Retirement newsletter service, where we share profiles of people who have become financially independent. One of the most remarkable stories we've come across is that of Akaisha and Billy Kaderli, who retired two decades ago at the age of 38 and began traveling the world. They wrote the popular books The Adventurer's Guide to Early Retirement and The Guide to Chapala Living.

There's one thing everyone has to worry about. It's a fatiguing topic and one filled with emotion and fear. As a nation, we can hardly get past it, and present solutions are sometimes as hard to handle as the problem itself.

I'm talking about health care, and how to pay for it.

High cost and obstacles
We know a couple who pay $1,200 a month for a catastrophic, high-deductible plan in the States, despite having never had a claim. Another couple pay $2,000 a month just for the husband's ability to be insured with his pre-existing heart condition. Some people are not able to be covered at all with U.S. insurance companies due to a past condition, even when it completely cleared up a decade or more ago. They feel they are just twisting in the wind and waiting for the next shoe to drop.

Sometimes, our readers write to us about staying in their jobs for another five years or more for the promise of employer-covered health insurance that will last the rest of their lives. They wonder, Is it worth it? They feel like they are spending their healthy years chained to a job that has lost its luster for something in the future that might not exist when they need or want it.

Going naked
As you know, Billy and I have traded security for adventure many times in our lives. And when it comes to health insurance and the price of health care, it's no different. Medical Tourism is a viable option and one that we espouse in our articles and books. We have been called on the carpet for our decisions in this area more than once.

However, among world travelers there is a phrase we use when we discuss health insurance policies and whether or not we want to continue holding one and paying the corresponding price tag. It's called "going naked" or "going semi-naked."

This phrase pretty much describes how it feels when one chooses to let that insurance policy go. One can feel pretty exposed and vulnerable -- at least in the beginning. On the other hand, not being tied to $12,000 to $24,000 in health-insurance payments each and every year opens up other possibilities. In a few years, you can save enough money from not paying premiums to afford something unexpected out of pocket.

For the most part we're talking about travelers here, so these are people not living a full-time traditional life in the States. They have made certain decisions and trade-offs to have the life they enjoy, and they have already received health care in other countries. There is always a first time for an experience such as this -- going to a doctor in a foreign country -- and that new experience can be unnerving. But then after receiving the care, realizing the doctor speaks English, seeing the hospital or clinic with its computers and quality equipment, and having the heartfelt care, they often get a much better perspective.

Those who have never received medical service out of their own home country tend to look at this topic with jaded eyes or great suspicion.

It's understandable.

Those who have gone through this experience feel their eyes have been opened to new possibilities. The idea of "going naked" of an insurance policy becomes a manageable possibility. Going "half-naked" (choosing a high-deductible policy or travel insurance when visiting the States) is a comfortable middle ground.

Your choice
Once again, Billy and I are not advising anyone to do anything. We present options to challenging situations, and you can ruminate about it or toss it into the round file.

But what we see over and over again is how this one subject seems to be overweighted as compared to other themes that could generate happiness and comfort in one's retirement life. Categories such as cost of living, reasonable weather, and having a community of friends and energizing, rewarding activities to do, for instance.

There is no one size fits all, to be sure.

But if the overbearing cost of health care and insurance is a concern in your retirement plans, you might consider some working alternatives.

For more information on Medical Tourism, click here. For Alternative Medical options, click here.?

Billy and Akaisha Kaderli are recognized retirement experts and internationally published authors on topics of finance and world travel. With the wealth of information they share on their popular website RetireEarlyLifestyle.com, they have been helping people achieve their own retirement dreams since 1991.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personalfinance/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/fool/20111222/bs_fool_fool/rx170563

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